Windsock apparatus



April 19, 1949- J. G. FINDLATER 2,467,374 l WINDSOCK APPARATUS Filed Aug. 23, 1946 Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDSOCKY APPARATUS John G. Findlater, Baker, Mont.

Application August 23, 1946, Serial No. 692,433

(Cl. 'i3-188) 6 Claims. l

This invention relates to an improved windsock and apparatus for supporting the Windsock.

An object of this invention is to p-rovide an irnproved Windsock and supporting apparatus having an inner sock and an outer sock supported in a horizontal spaced relation to the pivot point of the sock assembly, the inner sock engaging a rigid member which is rigidly connected to the pivot point whereby the turning force of the outer sock is transmitted to the inner sock and rigid member for rotating the assembly into the wind.

Another object of this invention is to provide a windsock having an outer sock and an inner sock, the outer sock having a slit therein which is opened by the wind and closed by the inner sock when the wind velocity is low to provide a windsock sensitive to winds of low velocity and so constructed that high wind velocities will not tear the inner or outer socks.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved windsock wherein the pivot rod substantially floats on an oil film thereby presenting the minimum of resistance to the turning force of the sock.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved windsock support having an adjustable balance weight for balancing the weight of the sock to exclude the binding of the pivot thereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a wndsock of the kind to be hereinafter described which may be readily made of stock material without the necessity of having many particular machined parts which contribute so much to the cost of such an article.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my windsock assembly, partly broken away and partly in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates a windsock assembly constructed according to an embodiment of my invention. The

assembly I0 includes a pair of tubular supporting members II and I2 fixed together in vertical alignment by a sleeve coupling I4. A bearing I5 is xed between the adjacent ends of the pipes I I and I2 within the sleeve I4 and is formed with an upwardly opening conical seat IE. The supporting members and I2 may be fastened at their lower end to any suitable base for a windsock, such as a hangar roof or in the ground on an airport.

A pipe or rod I'I is rotatably mounted in the upper pipe I2, being formed at its lower end with a conical point |8 -engageable in the bearing seat I6. The rod I'I is adapted to t loosely into the support l2 and friction between these members may be greatly reduced by filling the tube I2 with a light oil before inserting the rod I'I whereupon the rod I'I will be supported in a substantial lm of oil. To prevent dirt and dust from getting into the tube I2, a dome shaped annular cover I9 is xed about the rod I'I above the end of the tube I2 and overlies the upper edge of the tube I2.

A T pipe fitting is secured on the upper end of the rod I1 having a rod or pipe 2| extending from one side and a second rod or pipe 22 extending in the opposite direction. The end of the pipe 2| is closed with an end tting 24 and a counter-weight 25 is slidably supported on the pipe 2|' by U bolts 26 engaging about the pipe 2| and into the weight 25.

An elbow 2'I is xed on the outer end of the pipe 22 and a short length of pipe or rod 28 is fixed in the elbow 21 in such a, manner that it extends downwardly at right angles to the pipe 22 and parallel to the pipe or rod I1.

A flat ring 29 is carried by the supporting pipe 28, the pipe 28 extending diametrically through the ring 29. The ring 29 may be loose on the pipe 28 and is held against turning relative to the support 28 by a pair of arms 30 and 3| which are fixed at one end to opposite sides of the ring 29 and at their other end to the pipe or rod A windsock 32 made of fabric or other suitable material is xed to the periphery of the ring 29 and extends outwardly in a direction opposite from the supporting arms 3U and 3|. A nut or end fitting 34 is fitted on the lower end of the pipe 28 for holding the ring 29 and the windsock '32 thereon. The windsock 32 is formed with a rearwardly extending slit 35 on its upper side near the front end for the purpose to be described hereinafter.

A brace 36 made of flat metal or other suitable rigid material is fixed on the rod 28 near the upper end thereof within the sock 32 and extends rearwardly and downwardly having a contour similar to that of the upper edge of the windsock 32 in a normal ying position.

A short length of resilient tubing 31 which may be made of rubber or other suitable material, having a certain degree of rigidity, is carried by the rod 28 and brace 36 within the Windsock 32. The member 31 is of a reduced diameter being smaller than one half of the diameter of the windsocir 32. The member 31 is adapted to be'positioned adjacent the upper inner edge of the windsock 32 to cover the slit 35 when the windsock 32 is supported on the member 31 in a low wind. The member 31 is fixed to the brace 36 by a rivet 38 or other suitable fastening device.

This inner member may be made of-v metal,y if:V

desired, and need not be a completecircle.

In the operation of this windsock assembly, when a slight wind is blowing the windsock 32 droops in such a manner that the slit 35 lies on the member 31v thereby closing the opening therethrough and the windsock 32 closes the outer end of the member 31 and its own shortened outer' end, thereby presenting a tube with a closed end to the wind, this being morey sensitive to winds ofA low Velocity than an open ended sleeve. The wind,=when tending to turn the rod l1, causes the windsock 32 to engage the upper side of the member-31 which may partially roll due to the friction between the member 31 and the windsock 32, thereby providing an' increased lever arm for turning the windsocls 32 about the tube l2, the lever arm being thelength of the frod 22 plus one-half the length of the sleeve 31. In` the construction of windsocks heretofore a sensitive windsock would be susceptible to -much damage in winds of a high Velocity. By the construction of a windsock asfherein described, the windsock will be sensitive to low-winds and able to withstand high winds with little or no damage. Ahigh wind entering the ring 28wwill raise the windsock 32 in such a manner that the -uppe-r edge thereof will be raised from the sleeve 31 thereby opening the slit 35 so the wind may pass readily through the sleeve 31, the windsock 32 and slit 35 having little resistancethereby precluding the probability of damage to the windsock 32. Tliefsleeve 31, windsock 32" and opening 35 constituting a valve formed-by the association of these elements being dependent upon the wind condition for the operation thereof to obtain the -resultA described.

The weight 25 is calculated to counterbalance the weight of the windsock 32 and its correlated parts on the arm 22', `in such a manner that the cross arm`22 plus 2|, will' be substantially balanced in the average wind condition for a particular location.- While the weight 25 is shown here fastened'to the arm 2|, it'may, when desired, be removed and lead, sand or otherlsuitable material be ixed within .the arm2l.

I do not mean to confine myself .to theexact details of construction Aherein ydisclosed but claim all variations falling-within Ythe-purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A windsock assembly comprising a T-shaped support, a downwardly extending rod on the terminal end of one cross armof said support, a ring rcarried bysaid rod, saidrod extendingdiametrically across saidring, a windsock xed to the periphery of said ring and extendingtherefrom, a resilient tubular member carried by said ring andy extendingA into saidasock, said member being of a diameter substantially smaller than...

said ring and said sock, an elongated brace fixed on said rod near the upper end thereof within said ring engaging said tubular member for supporting said member near the upper edge of said ring adjacent said sock, said sock formed with an elongated longitudinal slit therein above said tubular member lwhereby one end of said member and said sock will be closed by said sock in a low wind condition and in a high wind the wind may pass through said tubular member, said member and said slit.

2. A windsock assembly comprising a ring, a windsock xed at one end thereof to the periphery of said ring, said sock formed with a rearwardly extending elongated slit at said one end, a resilient tubular member of reduced diameter on said ring extending into said windsock adjacent said slit, a downwardly and rearwardly extending brace on said ring for supporting said member, and means rotatably supporting said ring.

3. In a iwindsock assembly, an elongated windsock, a ring frame for said sock, said windsock having a rearwardly extending slit in the front end thereof on the upper side, and a rcarwar dly and downwardly extending resilient tubular member secured on said frame and extending into said windsock for covering said slit in certain positions of said windsock.

4. A windsock assembly comprising an open f ended flexible sock, a supporting frame for one end oi said sock, said sock formed with an opening on the upper side thereof adjacent said frame, and a member carried bysaid frame and extending into said sock for closing said opening in the substantially dependent disposition of said sock thereover.

5. A windsock assembly comprising a flexible sock open at the front end thereof, a supporting frame for the front end of said' sock, said soci; formed with an opening on'the upper side of the front end, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined member secured to said frame and extending into said sock for closing said opening in the dependent disposition of said sock thereover in a low wind condition and permitting the passage of air through said opening in the raised disposition of said sock in a high wind condition.

6. In a wind direction indicating device a flexible tubular member open at the forward end thereof, a supporting'frame for the front end of said member, said memberv formed with anv opening therethrough intermediate the length thereof, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined member on said frame for closing said Opening in the dependent disposition 'of said rst member thereover in a lowA wind condition and being spaced therefrom permitting the passage of air through said opening in the raised disposition of said first member in a high wind condition.

JOHN G. FINDLATER.

REFERENCES CITEDY The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '151,514 Hunt Feb. 9, i904 993,800 Shotwell May 30, 1911 1,579,034 Roberts Mar. 30, 1926 1,736,109 Barton Nov. .1.9, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country f Date 517,786 Great. Britain.- Feb. 8, 1940: 

